DK'S GRIND FEED

First, the defense figured it out. 

To a finite degree.

"Oh, yeah," T.J. Watt would tell me in the most matter-of-fact tone after the Steelers' defense turned up five takeaways to take out the Patriots, 21-14, this afternoon here at Gillette Stadium. "We knew all week those guys were ball-search victims. They've put a lot of fumbles on tape. And anytime you emphasize that all week, it needs to show up in the game. That's what you saw today."

Sure did. All day:

One interception in the end zone, four fumbles overall, three of those forced directly by one of the Steelers' hands, and all four of those recovered by the Steelers.

Tremendous stuff. That was supposed to be this defense's identity all along and, three weeks into the NFL season, there it was.

Then, eventually, and by that I mean the final freaking minute of the fourth quarter, the offense figured it out, too.

To a very finite degree:

It represented pretty much the totality of the Steelers' offense -- or their usage of the modern forward pass, for that matter -- following an early 14-point burst, but Calvin Austin came through when it counted, adjusting smoothly to that slightly underthrown 17-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to snap a 14-14 tie with 2:16 on the clock.

"We have things we need to work on," Austin would tell me. "But we got it done. We got the dub."

They did. I checked the big scoreboard under the big lighthouse on the way out. They really did.

And as a result, they'll fly to Ireland later in the week with a 2-1 record, a chance to be 3-1 entering their early bye and ... yeah, I know.

"Certainly, there's a lot of things to work on," Mike Tomlin would speak from the podium, "but it's good to do that with a win."

Uh-huh.

Listen, my friends, I watched this. Had a super-swell view, too, from this place's corner press box. And I'd like to think that, one, I'm not an idiot and, two, my readers aren't idiots, so it'd be a spectacular waste of anyone's time to take any specific positives from this too far.

Instead, I'll posit a half-dozen hard questions I've got about this team, all of which I'm certain they'll now have to clear through European Union customs, if not beyond:

1. WHY NOT GO VERTICAL?

You know, as in vertical:

Both downfield and high enough for all these big receiving targets to do their thing more often. 

The easy answer's to blame Arthur Smith, and I'm sure anyone doing so will have ample company. They might even collide with a Matt Canada comparison or a million while there.

Fine, I say. Go ahead and make that: Because one thing Smith and Canada have completely in common is scheming behind a deficient offensive line. 

Really, let's not overthink this: Rodgers doesn't have time to set and throw, much less survey the scene, so the release is roughly as quick as a three-stride receiving route. Or it's thrown sideways, where the line scarcely matters. Or it's pitched. Any which way, there's but a fraction of Smith's playbook being put to use, and it's never been more obvious than after this game that there's only one reason for it.

Take a look:

NFL NEXT GEN STATS

That's not living in one's fears. That's hiding under grandma's quilt and living in one's tears.

Ten of Rodgers' 23 attempts wound up at or behind the line of scrimmage. Nine of his 16 completions, too. Two balls penetrated as many as 20 yards of actual oxygen. 

DK Metcalf, despite that dynamism displayed above, would be targeted four times for three catches and 32 yards. Austin had three catches for 34 yards, half of the latter on the touchdown. Jonnu Smith, the NFL's top tight end in yards-after-the-catch in 2024, had three catches for 23 yards. I'm not sure Pat Freiermuth made the trip.

It’s the line. 

It's. The. Line.

They can't say it. I can and will.

The line's what causes Rodgers to throw no further than the tip of his nose. It's what causes Rodgers to rush from the pocket before any potential receiver's run as many as three steps. It's what causes six possessions totaling 27 yards leading into that final touchdown drive. And you’d better believe it's what causes yet another terrible total of 203 yards for another terrible average play of 4.1 yards.

Know this: That's not what Smith wants. That's certainly not what Rodgers wants. That’s nothing more than what they see as necessary, and I don't know that I can blame them. This offense remains stuck in survival mode, hoping for something, anything, someone, anyone to improve up front. 

So what’s the answer here?

Well, as I’ve stated, there isn’t one. Beyond blocking better. 

I asked Troy Fautanu if he sees the line, which, for full context, didn't allow a sack to an opponent that'd led the NFL with nine through the first two weeks, making progress.

"As a group, I feel like we did a lot better job in the first half," he'd reply, referring to that early burst. "But after that, obviously, there were a lot of drives that finished three-and-out, and we were giving up some pressure. It's a lot of negative plays in between. But we just have to keep on honing in on the details and getting better."

And that's coming?

"I mean, I hope so. I think it is."

2. OK, WHAT ABOUT THE RUN?

I'm more convinced than ever that, as much as Smith and the Steelers aspire to set up the run, it's high time they start considering the reverse.

The quality of Jaylen Warren's running here, independent of all other factors, remained superb. I say that not all because he gained 47 yards on 18 carries for a measly 2.6 average but, rather, because that corner press box here affords one of the NFL's cleanest views of line play and, within that, a team's running game. And I'll happily attest on my own that Warren not only ran his rear end off but also did so smartly, aggressively and as efficiently as could be expected when weighing that the holes were scant.

Here again, he can't say it. I can and will.

And unless there's some wave-of-the-wand solution for this line's run-blocking, the only plausible way to address this is for Smith to soften opponents' fronts. 

Mike Vrabel, very much in character, loaded up New England's box against the Steelers, pressed the backfield from all points, and couldn't have cared less if Rodgers would connect deep because he'd first have to survive the Patriots' pass rush. So, OK, toss it over them. Quick, safe, short, but put it over their hands and get a few yards at a time while shifting their stances from toes to heels. Try screens in space, not just that same sideways thing. Or pitch, if needed, like the one that brought Kenny Gainwell's touchdown. 

Hoping isn't a plan. Unless it happens to be this staff's plan, in which case it's a horrible plan.

3. HOW ABOUT THE BIG BOYS?

Cam Heyward came not to play but to pulverize. 

Shouldn’t ever surprise anyone. He’s capable of physical feats on the field that others can’t even process. He’s a brute and a half to anyone else’s brute. 

Forced fumble at the goal line. Diving forward. At age 36.

He hadn’t been bad in the first two games, but he hadn’t been at his freak-show best. This was his freak-show best, and it was mega-uplifting to see again. 

"They moved the ball well," Heyward would say of Drake Maye and the Patriots putting up 368 yards. "I thought we created some turnovers that mitigated that." 

Watt wasn’t quite at Heyward's level, but peak T.J. tends to come through with totals like two sacks, two quarterback hits, five total tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

First sack in seven games, I should add:

"It's about rush and coverage, always," Watt would say. "I thought our guys in the back did a good job of getting us the time to get after the quarterback, especially on the last drive. But we need to get better, of course."

Good for those two. Better for the Steelers. Nothing about this season takes off without both.

Left unanswered: How’ll they hold up?

4. AND THOSE 'WEIGHTY DOWNS?'

Also left unanswered: How to explain the defense, in general, getting gutted again and again and again on third and fourth downs? 

The Patriots converted a combined 10 of 18 third and fourth downs, or 6 of 13 and 4 of 5, respectively. Both of which are ridiculous ... and now expected. For the season, the Steelers' opponents are converting third downs at a 46.3 percent rate, fourth downs at a 66.7 percent rate.

What's worse, it's happening with hardly any pattern in place, other than the one I'll pinpoint, and that's brutally predictable coaching.

Through two games, Tomlin and Teryl Austin mostly went with a Cover-1 that had a single high safety, and everyone else just below in man coverage. That, as no one needs to be reminded, was ripped apart by both the Jets and Seahawks. Principally, right over the middle.

So the coaches' adjustment here on this day, if one can call it that, was to rush four, drop seven and go-cover-‘em-boys, a lot like last season.

Didn’t exactly sing, did it?

I swear, it felt like Josh McDaniels was holding the ball down like Lucy in front of Charlie Brown, only to yank it away as soon as Tomlin/Austin thought they had something.

Would it be wonderful to have DeShon Elliott and Joey Porter healthy?

I'm not about to downplay, much less dismiss injuries. They aren't excuses. They're real.

Would it be welcome to have more players making more plays?

Of course, but they aren’t. And what’s being picked apart, both in scheme and performance, is abysmal regardless.

“There’s work to do,” Darius Slay would tell me. “We did some things better, but there’s more.”

Good luck. No answers here, either.

5. IS THIS SUFFICIENT DEPTH?

It's worthwhile wondering about this even while starters might struggle, if only because this season's been set up to be some urgent, maybe-single-year push toward playoff success, and all 53 sets of hands will be needed. And after observing some replacements through the first two weeks, it'd become a bona fide worry, not just a wonder.

Still is.

I can love, for instance, the end-zone interception and then the game-sealing tackle delivered by Saint Vincent hero Brandin Echols in Porter's stead:

That's how it's done.

Really amiable, energetic dude, too, I'll add:

But tell me who, even with Derrick Harmon making an inspired NFL debut, will bump Keeanu Benton back down to whatever spot on the depth chart he deserves:

Don't pass that one over. Benton's wearing No. 95. He swoops in at the end to celebrate Jabrill Peppers' excellent fumble force/recovery, but only after he's mercilessly pile-driven into the stadium turf, as we've seen far too often through three weeks.

Benton registered one solo tackle in this one ... which doubled his season total.

Come on.

6. LIKE, WHAT THE HELL?

I don’t know. I just work here, I guess. Maybe it’ll all make sense on the flip-side of the planet.